Electrical tilt feed network, electrical tilt network board, and antenna device

Abstract

An electrical tilt feed network (1), comprising: a power division network (11), comprising a main path feeder (111) and branch feeders (112); and a variable delay module (12) connected in series on one branch feeder (112) and comprising a first electrical tilt switch (121), a second electrical tilt switch (122) and a plurality of delay lines (123), wherein the plurality of delay lines (123) have the same impedance and different lengths, and two ends of each delay line (123) are respectively electrically connected to the first electrical tilt switch (121) and the second electrical tilt switch (121). In the present disclosure, the conduction of any delay line (123) can be realized by means of excitation of an electrical signal, thereby simplifying the structure of the variable delay module (12), and reducing the size and weight of the electrical tilt feed network (1); in addition, controlling the electrical tilt switch on the basis of the electrical signal improves the response rate, thereby improving the phase switching efficiency.

Description

Electrically adjustable feed network, electrically adjustable network board and antenna device Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an electrically adjustable feed network, an electrically adjustable network board, and an antenna device. Background Art

[0002] Antenna devices are one of the key hardware devices in communication systems. With the rapid development of communication technology, communication systems are becoming increasingly complex, and the performance requirements for antenna devices are also becoming increasingly higher. Compared with 4G communication, the key advantages of 5G communication are high speed and low latency, which is why 5G base stations are widely used in communication systems. The antenna device of a 5G base station includes a feed network. In related technologies, the phase shift module included in the feed network is a pull-rod phase shift structure, which makes the feed network larger in size and heavier, making it difficult for the feed network to meet the requirements. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a feed network with a simpler structure.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide an electrically adjustable feed network, an electrically adjustable network board, and an antenna device, which can effectively simplify the structure of the electrically adjustable feed network and reduce the weight and size of the electrically adjustable feed network.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical feed network, comprising:

[0007] A power splitting network, comprising a main feeder and a plurality of branch feeders electrically connected to each other, wherein the main feeder is used to input an energy signal, and the plurality of branch feeders are used to output antenna signals having different phases;

[0008] a variable delay module, connected in series to one of the branch feeders, and comprising a first electrically adjustable switch, a second electrically adjustable switch and a plurality of delay lines;

[0009] The first electrically adjustable switch and the second electrically adjustable switch each have a control end and a plurality of conduction ends. The control end of the first electrically adjustable switch and the control end of the second electrically adjustable switch are both electrically connected to corresponding branch feeders. The plurality of conduction ends correspond one-to-one to the plurality of delay lines. The plurality of delay lines have the same impedance and different lengths. The two ends of each delay line are respectively electrically connected to the corresponding conduction end on the first electrically adjustable switch and the corresponding conduction end on the second electrically adjustable switch.

[0010] According to any one of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, the plurality of delay lines include a first delay line, the first delay line includes multiple sections of microstrip lines, and at least two sections of the microstrip lines have different widths.

[0011] According to any one of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, the first delay line includes a first microstrip line, a second microstrip line and a third microstrip line;

[0012] The first microstrip line and the second microstrip line are electrically connected to the corresponding conductive end of the first electrically adjustable switch and the corresponding conductive end of the second electrically adjustable switch, respectively. The third microstrip line is connected to the first microstrip line and the second microstrip line, respectively.

[0013] According to any of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, the first microstrip line and the second microstrip line have the same impedance, and the impedances of the first microstrip line and the third microstrip line satisfy Z1 2 =Z2×Z0, where Z0 refers to the preset impedance between the first electrically adjustable switch and the second electrically adjustable switch, Z1 refers to the impedance of the first microstrip line, and Z2 refers to the impedance of the third microstrip line.

[0014] According to any electrically adjustable feed network described in the present disclosure, the first microstrip line and the second microstrip line have the same width and a length of 0.25λ, where λ refers to the wavelength of an energy signal when it is transmitted along the electrically adjustable feed network, and the width of the first microstrip line is greater than the width of the third microstrip line.

[0015] According to any one of the electrically adjustable feeding networks described in the present disclosure, the plurality of delay lines further includes a second delay line, the second delay line is a microstrip line of equal width, and the length of the second delay line is 0.5λ.

[0016] According to any of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, the multiple delay lines further include a third delay line and a fourth delay line, and the third delay line and the fourth delay line each include multiple sections of microstrip lines, and at least two sections of the microstrip lines have different widths.

[0017] According to any one of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, at least some of the delay lines include a winding structure.

[0018] According to any one of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, each of the multiple delay lines is symmetrically distributed along the center line of the first electrically adjustable switch and the second electrically adjustable switch.

[0019] According to any one of the electrical adjustment feeding networks described in the present disclosure, the electrical adjustment feeding network comprises a plurality of the variable delay modules;

[0020] The plurality of variable delay modules correspond one-to-one to the plurality of branch feeders, and each branch feeder is connected in series with a corresponding variable delay module.

[0021] According to any one of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, the lengths of the delay lines included in the multiple variable delay modules are different.

[0022] According to any one of the electrical adjustment feeder networks described in the present disclosure, the plurality of branch feeders include at least one first branch feeder and at least one second branch feeder, and the lengths of at least one of the first branch feeders are different;

[0023] The electrically adjustable feeding network includes at least one variable delay module, and at least one variable delay module corresponds to at least one second branch feeder in a one-to-one manner, and each second branch feeder is connected in series with a corresponding variable delay module.

[0024] According to any of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, the power division network further includes a fixed delay line, and the fixed delay line is connected in series with at least one of the branch feed lines connected in series with the variable delay module.

[0025] According to any of the electrically adjustable feed networks described in the present disclosure, at least one of the first electrically adjustable switch and the second electrically adjustable switch is a single-pole multi-throw radio frequency switch or a PIN switch.

[0026] According to any one of the electrical adjustment feed networks described in the present disclosure, the power division network further includes a ring metal wire and a short-circuit metal sheet;

[0027] The power division network includes two branch feeders, the main feeder and the branch feeder are respectively connected to different sides of the annular metal wire, the short-circuit metal sheet is located inside the annular metal wire, the short-circuit metal sheet is short-circuited with the annular metal wire, and is used for grounding.

[0028] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical adjustment network board, comprising: a dielectric substrate and the electrical adjustment feed network described in the above aspect;

[0029] The dielectric substrate is in a strip-shaped structure and has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface has grounding metal, and the electrical adjustment feeding network is located on the second surface.

[0030] According to any one of the electrically adjustable network boards described in the present disclosure, the electrically adjustable network board includes a pair of electrically adjustable feeding networks distributed along the width direction of the dielectric substrate, and the pair of electrically adjustable feeding networks are used to output dual-polarized antenna signals.

[0031] According to any one of the electrically adjustable network boards described in the present disclosure, in the length direction of the dielectric substrate, a pair of variable delay modules included in the electrically adjustable feeding network are staggered and distributed.

[0032] According to any one of the electrically adjustable network boards described in the present disclosure, the electrically adjustable network board comprises a first electrically adjustable feeding network and a second electrically adjustable feeding network symmetrically distributed along the length direction of the dielectric substrate;

[0033] The length of the branch feeder and the length of the delay line included in the first electrically adjustable feed network are different from the length of the branch feeder and the length of the delay line included in the second electrically adjustable feed network, and the first electrically adjustable feed network and the second electrically adjustable feed network are used to output single-polarized antenna signals.

[0034] According to any one of the electrically adjustable network boards described in the present disclosure, the electrically adjustable network board comprises a pair of the first electrically adjustable feeding networks and a pair of the second electrically adjustable feeding networks distributed along the width direction of the dielectric substrate;

[0035] In the length direction of the dielectric substrate, the variable delay modules included in the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks and the variable delay modules included in the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks are staggered, and the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks and the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks are both used to output dual-polarized antenna signals.

[0036] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an antenna device is provided, comprising the electrically adjustable network board described in the above aspect.

[0037] According to any one of the antenna devices described in the present disclosure, the antenna device comprises: a reflector, an isolation strip, a power splitter board and an antenna unit;

[0038] The first side surface of the reflector has a plurality of electrically adjustable network boards distributed along the width direction, and the second side surface of the reflector has isolation strips located on both sides of each electrically adjustable network board in the width direction, and a mounting area corresponding to one electrically adjustable network board is formed between two adjacent isolation strips;

[0039] Each of the installation areas has a plurality of power dividing boards and a plurality of groups of antenna units in one-to-one correspondence. The input end of a power dividing board is electrically connected to a branch feeder, and the output end of a power dividing board is electrically connected to a corresponding group of antenna units.

[0040] The embodiments of the present disclosure include at least the following technical effects:

[0041] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electrically adjustable feed network is provided. Combined with two electrically adjustable switches included in a variable delay module, any one of a plurality of delay lines can be turned on by merely stimulating an electrical signal, thereby simplifying the structure of the variable delay module and reducing the size and weight of the electrically adjustable feed network. Simultaneously, combined with control of the two electrically adjustable switches by an electrical signal, the response rate of the variable delay module is improved, thereby facilitating improved phase switching efficiency of the electrically adjustable feed network. Thus, for an antenna device having the electrically adjustable feed network, the size and weight of the antenna device can be effectively reduced while improving the antenna effect.

[0042] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0044] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wiring structure of an electrically adjustable feed network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a wiring structure of another electrical adjustment feeding network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a variable delay module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a simulated structure of an electrical adjustment feeding network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a simulated structure of another electrical adjustment feeding network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a simulated structure of another electrical adjustment feeding network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a simulated structure of another electrical adjustment feeding network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a simulated structure of another electrical adjustment feeding network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a power division network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of another variable delay module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of another variable delay module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] FIG. 12 is a return loss curve diagram of the four delay lines shown in FIG. 3 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] FIG. 13 is a phase curve diagram of the four delay lines shown in FIG. 3 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an electrically adjustable network board provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of a top view of the structure of an electrically adjustable network board provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a top view of another electrically adjustable network board provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of a top view of another electrically adjustable network board provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of a top view of another electrically adjustable network board provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of a top view of the structure of another electrically adjustable network board provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an antenna device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] FIG21 is a schematic diagram of a partially enlarged structure of the antenna device shown in FIG20 .

[0065] FIG22 is a schematic diagram of a partially enlarged structure of another antenna device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] FIG23 is a schematic diagram of the rear structural view of an antenna device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] FIG24 is a schematic front view of the structure of an antenna device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] FIG25 is a directional diagram of an antenna device with a beam downtilt of 1 degree provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] FIG26 is a directional diagram of an antenna device with a beam downtilt of 4 degrees provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] FIG27 is a directional diagram of an antenna device with a beam downtilt of 8 degrees provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] FIG28 is a directional diagram of an antenna device with a beam downtilt of 12 degrees provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] Reference numerals: 100, antenna device; 10, electrically adjustable network board; 20, reflector; 30, power splitter board; 40, antenna unit; 50, isolation strip; 1, electrically adjustable feed network; 2, dielectric substrate; 3, grounding metal; 11, power splitter network; 12, variable delay module; 13, first electrically adjustable feed network; 14, second electrically adjustable feed network; 111, main feed line; 112, branch feed line; 113, looped metal wire; 114, short-circuit metal sheet; 115, fixed delay line; 1121, first feed line segment; 1122, second feed line segment; 1123, first branch feed line; 1124, second branch feed line; 121, first electrically adjustable switch; 122, second electrically adjustable switch; 123, delay line; 1231. First microstrip line; 1232. Second microstrip line; 1233. Third microstrip line; 1234. First delay line; 1235. Second delay line; 1236. Third delay line; 1237. Fourth delay line; 21. First carrier board; 22. Second carrier board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals in the figures represent identical or similar structures, and thus their detailed descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, the figures are merely schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0074] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relationship of one illustrated component to another, these terms are used herein for convenience only, such as in accordance with the orientation of the illustrations in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that if the illustrated device were flipped upside down, the component described as "upper" would become the component "lower." When a structure is referred to as "on" another structure, this may mean that the structure is integrally formed with the other structure, that the structure is "directly" disposed on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" disposed on the other structure via the other structure.

[0075] The terms "a", "an", "the", "said" and "at least one" are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "including" and "having" are used to express open-ended inclusion and mean that additional elements / components / etc. may be present in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms "first", "second" and "third" etc. are used only as labels and are not intended to limit the quantity of their objects.

[0076] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrically adjustable feed network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of the structure of another electrically adjustable feed network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of the structure of a variable delay module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 1 or 2, and 3, the electrically adjustable feed network 1 includes: a power splitter network 11 and a variable delay module 12; the power splitter network 11 includes an electrically connected main feeder 111 and multiple branch feeders 112, the main feeder 111 is used to input an energy signal, and the multiple branch feeders 112 are used to output antenna signals with different phases; the variable delay module 12 is connected in series to one branch feeder 112 and includes a first electrically adjustable switch 121, a second electrically adjustable switch 122, and multiple delay lines 123.

[0077] Among them, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 both have a control end and multiple conduction ends. The control end of the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the control end of the second electrically adjustable switch 122 are both electrically connected to a corresponding branch feeder 112, and the multiple conduction ends correspond one-to-one to the multiple delay lines 123. The multiple delay lines 123 have the same impedance and different lengths. The two ends of each delay line 123 are respectively electrically connected to the corresponding conduction end on the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the corresponding conduction end on the second electrically adjustable switch 122.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electrically adjustable feed network 1 is provided. Combined with two electrically adjustable switches included in a variable delay module 12, any one of a plurality of delay lines 123 can be turned on by merely stimulating an electrical signal, thereby simplifying the structure of the variable delay module 12 and reducing the size and weight of the electrically adjustable feed network 1. Furthermore, combined with control of the two electrically adjustable switches by an electrical signal, the response rate of the variable delay module 12 is improved, thereby facilitating improved phase switching efficiency of the electrically adjustable feed network 1. Consequently, an antenna device 100 having the electrically adjustable feed network 1 can effectively reduce the size and weight of the antenna device 100 while improving the scanning accuracy of the antenna device 100.

[0079] The electrically adjustable feed network 1 includes a variable delay module 12 connected in series to the corresponding branch feeder 112. Specifically, as shown in FIG4 , the branch feeder 112 includes a first feeder section 1121 and a second feeder section 1122. The first end of the first feeder section 1121 is electrically connected to the main feeder 111, and the first end of the second feeder section 1122 is used to output antenna signals. The variable delay module 12 is electrically connected to the second end of the first feeder section 1121 and the second end of the second feeder section 1122, respectively. In other words, the control end of the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the control end of the second electrically adjustable switch 122 are electrically connected to the second end of the first feeder section 1121 and the second end of the second feeder section 1122, respectively.

[0080] In the disclosed embodiment, the number of branch feeders 112 included in the power splitting network 11 may be two, three, four, etc. Taking the case where the number of branch feeders 112 is two as an example, the power splitting network 11 may be a one-to-two power splitter; taking the case where the number of branch feeders 112 is three as an example, the power splitting network 11 may be a one-to-three power splitter, or may be a structure consisting of two one-to-two power splitters.

[0081] The branch feeder 112 itself refers to the routing portion between the output end of the main feeder 111 and the output end of the corresponding branch feeder 112. In the case where the power splitter network 11 includes at least three branch feeders 112, when the at least three branch feeders 112 are laid out, it is inevitable that at least some of the branch feeders 112 will share a common routing section. Taking the power division network 11 as an example, which includes three branch feeders 112, when wiring the three branch feeders 112, as shown in Figure 5, a one-to-three power splitter can be used. At this time, two of the three branch feeders 112 can be set to share a section of routing to optimize the routing layout of the three branch feeders 112; as shown in Figure 6, two one-to-two power splitters can be used. The first-level one-to-two power splitter includes a main feeder 111 and a branch feeder 112, and the connection between the first-level one-to-two power splitter and the second-level one-to-two power splitter constitutes a common routing of the other two branch feeders 112, and the second-level one-to-two power splitter also includes the remaining parts of the other two branch feeders 112.

[0082] The multiple branch feeders 112 included in the power splitter network 11 are all used to output antenna signals with different phases, so as to ensure that the electrically adjustable feed network 1 can output antenna signals with multiple phases, thereby improving the scanning accuracy of the antenna device 100 having the electrically adjustable feed network 1. In addition, combined with the inherent length of the branch feeder 112 and the variable delay module 12 connected in series, after the energy signal is split at the output end of the main feeder 111, the antenna signal output by each branch feeder 112 has a different phase, so that the actual impedance of the split energy signal transmitted along the multiple branch feeders 112 is completely different. At this time, in order to ensure that the antenna signals output by the multiple branch feeders 112 have the same strength, the power splitters used in the power splitting network 11 are all unequal power splitters. That is, after the energy signal is input along the main feeder 111, it is split to each branch feeder 112 according to different proportions. Then, under the influence of the actual impedance of each branch feeder 112, the strength of the antenna signal output by each branch feeder 112 is ensured to be the same. Therefore, for the antenna device 100 with the electrically adjustable feed network 1, it is easy to ensure the uniformity of the intensity of the scanning beam during scanning.

[0083] Regarding the multiple branch feeders 112 included in the power division network 11, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7, the electrically adjustable feeding network 1 includes multiple variable delay modules 12, and the multiple variable delay modules 12 correspond one-to-one to the multiple branch feeders 112, and each branch feeder 112 is connected in series with a corresponding variable delay module 12.

[0084] In this way, when the antenna signal is output through each branch feeder 112, the phase of the antenna output by each branch feeder 112 can be adjusted based on the variable delay module 12 connected in series on each branch feeder 112, that is, the phase adjustability of the antenna signal output on each branch feeder 112 is achieved, thereby further improving the scanning accuracy of the antenna device 100 having the electrically adjustable feed network 1.

[0085] For example, as shown in FIG7 , the power division network 11 includes two branch feeders 112 , and both branch feeders 112 are connected in series with a variable delay module 12 .

[0086] In order to ensure that the phase of the antenna signal output by each branch feeder 112 is different, the lengths of the multiple branch feeders 112 themselves can be all different; or the variable delay modules 12 connected in series to each branch feeder 112 can be all different, that is, the lengths of the delay lines 123 of the multiple variable delay modules 12 included in the electrically adjustable feed network 1 are all different, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0087] Among them, for the case where the lengths of multiple branch feeders 112 are completely different, the variable delay modules 12 connected in series to each branch feeder 112 can be all the same, partially the same, or completely different; and for the case where the variable delay modules 12 connected in series to each branch feeder 112 are completely different, the lengths of multiple branch feeders 112 can be all the same, partially the same, or completely different.

[0088] For example, when the lengths of multiple branch feeders 112 are all different, taking the power splitting network 11 as a one-to-two Wilkinson power splitter as an example, the power splitting network 11 includes two branch feeders 112 of different lengths. The phases of the antenna signals output by the two branch feeders 112 can differ by 247 degrees, or by 558 degrees, etc.

[0089] In other embodiments, as shown in Figure 8, the multiple branch feeders 112 include at least one first branch feeder 1123 and at least one second branch feeder 1124, and the electrically adjustable feeding network 1 includes at least one variable delay module 12, at least one variable delay module 12 corresponds one-to-one to at least one second branch feeder 1124, and each second branch feeder 1124 is connected in series with a corresponding variable delay module 12.

[0090] For example, as shown in Figure 8, the power division network 11 includes a first branch feeder 1123 and a second branch feeder 1124, and the second branch feeder 1124 is connected in series with a variable delay module 12; the power division network 11 includes a first branch feeder 1123 and two second branch feeders 1124, and the two second branch feeders 1124 are both connected in series with a variable delay module 12.

[0091] Among them, the length of at least one first branch feeder 1123 is different to ensure that the phases of the antenna signals output by the at least one first branch feeder 1123 are different. In addition, in order to ensure that the phases of the antenna signals output by the at least one second branch feeder 1124 are different, the lengths of the at least one second branch feeder 1124 itself can be completely different. Alternatively, the variable delay modules 12 connected in series with each second branch feeder 1124 can be completely different, that is, the lengths of the delay lines 123 of the at least one variable delay module 12 included in the electrically adjustable feeding network 1 are all different. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0092] Among them, for the case where the lengths of at least one second branch feeder 1124 are completely different, the variable delay modules 12 connected in series to each second branch feeder 1124 can be all the same, partially the same, or completely different; and for the case where the variable delay modules 12 connected in series to each second branch feeder 1124 are completely different, the lengths of at least one second branch feeder 1124 can be all the same, partially the same, or completely different.

[0093] It should be noted that, for the branch feeders 112 connected in series with the variable delay modules 12 described in the above two embodiments, the power splitter network 11 further includes a fixed delay line 115, which is connected in series with the branch feeders 112 connected in series with the variable delay modules 12. In combination with the above, when one of the multiple branch feeders 112 is connected in series with the variable delay module 12, the fixed delay line 115 can be directly connected in series with the branch feeder 112; as shown in FIG6, when two of the multiple branch feeders 112 are both connected in series with the variable delay modules 12, the fixed delay line 115 is connected in series with the common routing of the two branch feeders 112, that is, the two variable delay modules 12 share the fixed delay line 115.

[0094] Among them, the fixed delay line 115 can be a 0-degree phase delay line 123, a 5-degree phase delay line 123, a 10-degree phase delay line 123, a 20-degree phase delay line 123, etc., so as to reduce the length of each delay line 123 included in the variable delay module 12 through the setting of the fixed delay line 115, thereby simplifying the wiring difficulty of the delay line 123 of the variable delay module 12 and reducing the size of the variable delay module 12.

[0095] In some embodiments, for the main feeder 111 and multiple branch feeders 112 included in the power splitting network 11, during the actual wiring process, as shown in Figure 1, the main feeder 111 and some branch feeders 112 can be set to include winding segments (such as S-shaped routing, zigzag routing, etc.), so as to avoid the main feeder 111 and the branch feeder 112 from increasing the wiring difficulty of the power splitting network 11 due to their own long length through the winding setting, while increasing the layout size of the electrically adjustable feeding network 1.

[0096] Optionally, when the main feeder 111 and the branch feeder 112 are wound, the distance between the winding segments included on the main feeder 111 and the branch feeder 112 and the adjacent routing lines needs to be greater than twice the line width to effectively ensure the isolation between adjacent routing lines, thereby avoiding coupling between energy signals transmitted by adjacent routing lines.

[0097] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 9, the power division network 11 also includes a ring metal wire 113 and a short-circuit metal sheet 114; the power division network 11 includes two branch feeders 112, the main feeder 111 and the branch feeder 112 are respectively connected to different sides of the ring metal wire 113, and the short-circuit metal sheet 114 is located inside the ring metal wire 113, the short-circuit metal sheet 114 is short-circuited with the ring metal wire 113, and is used for grounding.

[0098] In this way, by setting the short-circuit metal sheet 114, the isolation between the two branch feeders 112 can be improved to avoid mutual crosstalk between the energy signals transmitted by the two branch feeders 112, and to ensure the phase consistency of the energy signals on the two branch feeders 112 when the energy signal is diverted from the main feeder 111 to the branch feeder 112.

[0099] The annular metal sheet may have a notch, so that the two branch feeders 112 are connected at both ends of the notch, thereby improving the isolation between the two branch feeders 112. The short-circuit metal sheet 114 may be circular, rectangular, T-shaped, etc. When the short-circuit metal sheet 114 is T-shaped, one end of the short-circuit metal sheet 114 faces the position of the notch in the annular metal sheet, thereby further improving the isolation between the two branch feeders 112.

[0100] Optionally, the outer contour of the ring metal wire 113 is rectangular, the main feeder 111 is connected to a long side of the ring metal wire 113 and is centered, and the connection positions of the two branch feeders 112 and the ring metal wire 113 are symmetrically distributed on the other long side of the ring metal wire 113.

[0101] In the disclosed embodiment, the multiple conductive ends of the first electrically adjustable switch 121 correspond one-to-one to the multiple conductive ends on the second electrically adjustable switch 122, and the impedance between the corresponding two conductive ends is the same as the impedance between the other corresponding two conductive ends. That is, the impedances of the multiple delay lines 123 connecting the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 are all the same, so as to ensure that after phase adjustment by the variable delay module 12, the energy of the antenna signal output by each branch feeder 112 is the same, and only the phase is different.

[0102] The first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 may be of the same or different types. Taking the first electrically adjustable switch 121 as an example, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 may be a chip switch, such as a single-pole, multi-throw (SPMT) RF switch. In this case, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 may control the control terminal to conduct with a conductive terminal based on a received level signal. Alternatively, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 may be a single-pole, multi-throw (SPMT) PIN switch. In this case, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 may control the control terminal to conduct with a conductive terminal based on a received voltage signal. Of course, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 may also be another type of control switch activated by an electrical signal, as long as the control terminal can be connected to a conductive terminal under the stimulation of the electrical signal, thereby simplifying the structure of the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and improving the switching efficiency of the delay line 123 on the variable delay module 12.

[0103] The first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 are of the same type. For example, both the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 are single-pole multi-throw RF switches or single-pole multi-throw PIN switches. Alternatively, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 are of different types. For example, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 is a single-pole multi-throw RF switch and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 is a single-pole multi-throw PIN switch.

[0104] Taking the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 as an example, both of which are single-pole multi-throw RF switches, the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 can control one of the multiple delay lines 123 to turn on the branch feeder 112 where the variable delay module 12 is located according to the received level signal.

[0105] For example, the variable delay module 12 includes four delay lines 123 (a first delay line 1234, a second delay line 1235, a third delay line 1236, and a fourth delay line 1237). At this time, it can be preset that when the first electrically adjustable switch 121 receives a low-level signal and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 receives a low-level signal, the first delay line 1234 is controlled to turn on the branch feeder 112 where the variable delay module 12 is located; it can be preset that when the first electrically adjustable switch 121 receives a low-level signal and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 receives a high-level signal , control the second delay line 1235 to turn on the branch feeder 112 where the variable delay module 12 is located; it can be pre-set that when the first electrically adjustable switch 121 receives a high-level signal and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 receives a low-level signal, the third delay line 1236 is controlled to turn on the branch feeder 112 where the variable delay module 12 is located; it can be pre-set that when the first electrically adjustable switch 121 receives a high-level signal and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 receives a high-level signal, the fourth delay line 1237 is controlled to turn on the branch feeder 112 where the variable delay module 12 is located.

[0106] In combination with the above-mentioned pre-settings, during the operation of the electrically adjustable feed network 1, the corresponding delay line 123 can be controlled to turn on the branch feeder 112 where the variable delay module 12 is located according to the level signal received by the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122, thereby achieving the output of antenna signals of different phases on the branch feeder 112.

[0107] In conjunction with the above, when the electrically adjustable feed network 1 includes multiple variable delay modules 12, each variable delay module 12 can control the same level signal for the branch feeder 112 where any delay line 123 is turned on. Of course, each variable delay module 12 can also control the same level signal for the branch feeder 112 where any delay line 123 is turned on, and this is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0108] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a variable delay module 12 may include two, three, four or five delay lines 123, and the lengths of the multiple delay lines 123 are different, so that the phase of the antenna signal output by the branch feed line 112 can be adjusted through different delay lines 123.

[0109] Among them, since the lengths of the multiple delay lines 123 are different, there is a delay line 123 with a longer length. In order to avoid increasing the size of the variable delay module 12 after the straightened delay line 123 is connected to the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 respectively, at least part of the multiple delay lines 123 can be wound, that is, at least part of the multiple delay lines 123 include a winding structure, for example, some delay lines 123 include a zigzag winding structure, or an S-shaped winding structure, etc., as long as the spacing between two adjacent delay lines 123 is greater than twice the line width to ensure the isolation between the two adjacent delay lines 123.

[0110] Optionally, for the multiple delay lines 123 included in the variable delay module 12, as shown in Figure 10 or Figure 11, each delay line 123 can be symmetrically distributed along the center line of the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122, so as to improve the layout aesthetics of the multiple delay lines 123, and at the same time facilitate the optimization of the routing layout of the multiple delay lines 123 and reduce the difficulty of the routing layout.

[0111] The impedances of the multiple delay lines 123 are all identical and equal to the preset impedance between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122. This ensures that the strength of the antenna signal output by the branch feeder 112 is the same when different delay lines 123 are selected, thereby ensuring the radiation effect of the antenna device 100. For example, the preset impedance between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 is 45 ohms, 50 ohms, or 55 ohms. In this case, the impedances of the multiple delay lines 123 included in the variable delay module 12 can be 45 ohms, 50 ohms, or 55 ohms.

[0112] For the multiple delay lines 123 with the same impedance, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG10 , each delay line 123 in the multiple delay lines 123 is a microstrip line with the same width.

[0113] In this way, the design complexity of the multiple delay lines 123 can be simplified. At the same time, while ensuring the same impedance, the lengths of the multiple delay lines 123 can be relatively shortened to reduce the distance between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122, thereby reducing the size of the electrically adjustable feeding network 1.

[0114] For each of the multiple delay lines 123, parameters such as the width and length of the delay line 123 can be adjusted to ensure that the impedance of the multiple delay lines 123 is the same. Optionally, the length of one of the multiple delay lines 123 can be set to 0.5λ to ensure that the impedance of the delay line 123 is equal to the preset impedance between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 based on the impedance invariance of half a wavelength. λ refers to the wavelength of the energy signal when it is transmitted along the electrically adjustable feed network 1.

[0115] Due to the impedance invariance of half a wavelength, the 0.5λ delay line 123 can be set to any width. A smaller width can be selected to optimize the routing layout of multiple delay lines 123. Furthermore, the 0.5λ length of a single delay line 123 limits the spacing between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122. Therefore, the spacing between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 can be set to 0.4λ to 0.5λ.

[0116] In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG11 , the plurality of delay lines 123 include a first delay line 1234 . The first delay line 1234 includes multiple microstrip lines, and at least two of the microstrip lines have different widths.

[0117] In this way, the impedance matching of each section of the microstrip line can be used to ensure that the impedance of the first delay line 1234 is equal to the preset impedance between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122. At the same time, the routing layout of the first delay line 1234 is optimized by at least two sections of microstrip lines with different widths, thereby facilitating the optimization of the routing layout of multiple delay lines 123. At the same time, the coupling between the first delay line 1234 and other adjacent delay lines 123 can be reduced, thereby ensuring the energy transmission performance of the variable delay module 12.

[0118] The multiple microstrip lines included in the first delay line 1234 may have different widths and impedances, or some of the microstrip lines may have the same width and impedance and be different from the remaining microstrip lines.

[0119] For example, as shown in FIG11 , first delay line 1234 includes a first microstrip line 1231, a second microstrip line 1232, and a third microstrip line 1233. First microstrip line 1231 and second microstrip line 1232 are electrically connected to corresponding conductive ends on first and second electrically adjustable switches 121 and 122, respectively. Third microstrip line 1233 connects first microstrip line 1231 and second microstrip line 1232, respectively. In this case, first microstrip line 1231, second microstrip line 1232, and third microstrip line 1233 may have different widths and impedances. Alternatively, two of the first, second, and third microstrip lines 1231, 1232, and 1233 may have the same width and impedance, but differ from the width and impedance of the remaining microstrip line, thereby reducing the design complexity of first delay line 1234.

[0120] Optionally, the first microstrip line and the second microstrip line have the same impedance, and the impedances of the first microstrip line and the third microstrip line satisfy Z1 2 =Z2×Z0, where Z0 is the preset impedance between the first and second electrically adjustable switches, Z1 is the impedance of the first microstrip line, and Z2 is the impedance of the third microstrip line. This ensures that the impedance of first delay line 1234, formed by first microstrip line 1231, second microstrip line 1232, and third microstrip line 1233, is equal to the preset impedance between first and second electrically adjustable switches 121, 122.

[0121] Optionally, the first microstrip line 1231 and the second microstrip line 1232 have the same width and a length of 0.25λ, that is, the first microstrip line 1231 and the second microstrip line 1232 have the same impedance, and the width of the first microstrip line 1231 is greater than that of the third microstrip line 1233 .

[0122] Optionally, as shown in FIG11 , the multiple delay lines 123 further include a second delay line 1235 . The second delay line 1235 is a microstrip line of equal width, so as to simplify the design complexity of the multiple delay lines 123 .

[0123] For the second delay line 1235 of uniform width, the length of the second delay line 1235 can be set to 0.5λ. This ensures, based on the impedance invariance of half a wavelength, that the impedance of the second delay line 1235 is equal to the preset impedance between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122, and thus equal to the impedance of the first delay line 1234. Furthermore, based on the impedance invariance of half a wavelength, the second delay line 1235 can be configured as a microstrip line with a relatively small width, thereby facilitating optimization of the routing layout of the second delay line 1235 and the first delay line 1234 and reducing the size of the variable delay module 12.

[0124] Optionally, as shown in FIG3 , the plurality of delay lines 123 further include a third delay line 1236 and a fourth delay line 1237 . The third delay line 1236 and the fourth delay line 1237 each include multiple microstrip lines, and at least two of the microstrip lines have different widths.

[0125] In this way, by configuring the multiple delay lines 123 to be routing lines composed of multiple microstrip lines, the width of the microstrip lines is reduced, and the routing layout of the multiple delay lines 123 is further optimized, thereby reducing the size of the variable delay module 12 .

[0126] The lengths of the microstrip lines included in the first delay line 1234 , the third delay line 1236 , and the fourth delay line 1237 are different, so as to ensure that the impedances of the first delay line 1234 , the third delay line 1236 , and the fourth delay line 1237 are the same while the phases of the antenna signals that can be output are different.

[0127] For example, as shown in FIG3 , the first delay line 1234, the third delay line 1236, and the fourth delay line 1237 all include a first microstrip line 1231 and a second microstrip line 1232 of equal width, and a third microstrip line 1233 connected between the first microstrip line 1231 and the second microstrip line 1232 and having a smaller width. In this case, the first delay line 1234, the third delay line 1236, and the fourth delay line 1237 include the first microstrip line 1231, the second microstrip line 1232, and the third microstrip line 1233. The lines 1232 are of equal length, and the length is 0.25λ. The lengths of the third microstrip lines 1233 included in the first delay line 1234, the third delay line 1236 and the fourth delay line 1237 are all different. The relationship satisfied by the impedance of the first microstrip line 1231 and the third microstrip line 1233 of each delay line 123 in the first delay line 1234, the third delay line 1236 and the fourth delay line 1237 can be parameters as described above, and the embodiments of the present disclosure will not be repeated here.

[0128] It should be noted that, in combination with the above, for the multiple delay lines 123 included in the variable delay module 12, each delay line 123 in the multiple delay lines 123 may be a routing line composed of multiple microstrip lines. For example, the multiple delay lines 123 include a first delay line 1234, a third delay line 1236, and a fourth delay line 1237; or some of the multiple delay lines 123 may be routing lines composed of multiple microstrip lines, and the remaining delay lines 123 may be microstrip lines of equal width. For example, as shown in FIG11, the multiple delay lines 123 include a first delay line 1234 and a second delay line 1235; or as shown in FIG3, the multiple delay lines 123 include a first delay line 1234, a second delay line 1235, a third delay line 1236, and a fourth delay line 1237.

[0129] As for the first delay line 1234, the second delay line 1235, the third delay line 1236 and the fourth delay line 1237 included in the variable delay module 12, combined with the above description, the second delay line 1235 with a length of 0.5λ corresponds to a phase shift of 180 degrees, and the first delay line 1234, the third delay line 1236 and the fourth delay line 1237 including the first microstrip line 1231 and the second microstrip line 1232 with a length of 0.25λ have corresponding phase shifts of 269 degrees, 334 degrees and 404 degrees, respectively.

[0130] FIG12 shows the return loss curves of the first, second, third, and fourth delay lines 1234, 1235, 1236, and 1237 included in the variable delay module 12. The curves include return loss curve S11 for the first delay line 1234, return loss curve S22 for the second delay line 1235, return loss curve S33 for the third delay line 1236, and return loss curve S44 for the fourth delay line 1237. As can be seen from the figure, the first, second, third, and fourth delay lines 1234, 1235, 1236, and 1237 all have minimum return losses at their respective frequencies, ensuring efficient energy signal transmission when each delay line 123 conducts in the branch feeder 112 where it resides.

[0131] Furthermore, FIG13 shows the phase curves of the first, second, third, and fourth delay lines 1234, 1235, 1236, and 1237 of the variable delay module 12, respectively. The phase curves are S12 for the first delay line 1234, S34 for the second delay line 1235, S56 for the third delay line 1236, and S78 for the fourth delay line 1237. As can be seen from the figure, phase adjustment can be achieved within a wide frequency band using any of the first, second, third, and fourth delay lines 1234, 1235, 1236, and 1237 delay lines, thereby ensuring the scanning range of the antenna device 100 equipped with the electrically adjustable feed network 1 and improving antenna performance.

[0132] The present disclosure also provides an electrically adjustable network board 10. As shown in FIG14 , the electrically adjustable network board 10 includes a dielectric substrate 2 and the electrically adjustable feed network 1 described in the above embodiment. The dielectric substrate 2 has a strip-shaped structure and has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the dielectric substrate 2 has a grounding metal 3, and the electrically adjustable feed network 1 is located on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 2.

[0133] The dielectric substrate 2 may be a PCB substrate, etc. In combination with the above, the power splitter network 11 of the electrically adjustable feed network 1 includes a short-circuit metal sheet 114. In this case, the dielectric substrate 2 may include a metal post, and the short-circuit metal sheet 114 may be electrically connected to the ground metal 3 on the first surface of the dielectric substrate 2 via the metal post, so that the short-circuit metal sheet 114 isolates the multiple branch feed lines 112 included in the power splitter network 11.

[0134] The electrically adjustable feed network 1 distributed on the second surface of the dielectric substrate 2 can be configured according to specific needs. For example, a single-polarized electrically adjustable network board 10, a dual-polarized electrically adjustable network board 10, a single-sided radiating electrically adjustable network board 10, or a dual-sided radiating electrically adjustable network board 10 can be configured. The following describes a dual-polarized electrically adjustable network board 10 with single-sided radiation, a dual-sided radiating electrically adjustable network board 10 with single polarization, and a dual-sided radiating electrically adjustable network board 10 with dual polarization.

[0135] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 15 or 16 , the electrically adjustable network board 10 includes a pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 distributed along the width of the dielectric substrate 2. These feed networks 1 are configured to output dual-polarized antenna signals. Thus, the electrically adjustable network board 10, which outputs dual-polarized antenna signals, can further increase the scanning range of the antenna device 100 equipped with the electrically adjustable network board 10, thereby improving the antenna performance of the antenna device 100.

[0136] The routing layouts of the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 on the dielectric substrate 2 can be identical and symmetrically distributed across the width of the dielectric substrate 2. This simplifies the layout of the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 while reducing the design difficulty of the electrically adjustable network board 10. Of course, the routing layout of one of the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 can also be adjusted to achieve a staggered distribution of local structures within the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1. This can reduce the size of the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 across the width of the dielectric substrate 2 while ensuring isolation between the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1. This, in turn, reduces the width of the electrically adjustable network board 10, achieving a compact design for the electrically adjustable network board 10.

[0137] Optionally, the spacing between the lines of the electrically adjustable feeding network 1 is generally greater than twice the line width, so as to ensure the isolation of the electrically adjustable feeding network 1 and reduce the mutual influence of signals between the lines.

[0138] Regarding the aforementioned staggered distribution of local structures on the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1, each electrically adjustable feed network 1 includes two branch feeders 112, and only one branch feeder 112 is connected in series with a variable delay module 12. In this case, the variable delay modules 12 included in the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 can be staggered in the length direction of the dielectric substrate 2, as shown in FIG. 15 or FIG. 16 . This ensures isolation between the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 while improving the compactness of the distribution of the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 in the width direction of the dielectric substrate 2.

[0139] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG17 , the electrically tunable network board 10 includes a first electrically tunable feed network 13 and a second electrically tunable feed network 14 symmetrically distributed along the length of the dielectric substrate 2. The first electrically tunable feed network 13 and the second electrically tunable feed network 14 are configured to output single-polarized antenna signals. Thus, by symmetrically distributing the first and second electrically tunable feed networks 14 along the length of the dielectric substrate 2, the antenna device 100 equipped with the electrically tunable network board 10 can improve the beam radiation symmetry of the antenna device 100 when the first and second electrically tunable feed networks 14 operate simultaneously, thereby ensuring symmetric and uniform radiation beam weights.

[0140] The symmetry between the first electrically adjustable feed network 13 and the second electrically adjustable feed network 14 along the length of the dielectric substrate 2 refers to positional symmetry, not structural symmetry between the first electrically adjustable network and the second electrically adjustable network. The distance between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 included in the first electrically adjustable feed network 13 is equal to the distance between the first electrically adjustable switch 121 and the second electrically adjustable switch 122 included in the second electrically adjustable feed network 14, thereby further ensuring the symmetry and uniformity of the radiation beam weights of the antenna device 100.

[0141] The first electrically adjustable feed network 13 and the second electrically adjustable feed network 14 may be two electrically adjustable feed networks 1 that output antenna signals with different phases. That is, the phases of the antenna signals output by each branch feeder 112 included in the first electrically adjustable feed network 13 are different from the phases of the antenna signals output by each branch feeder 112 included in the second electrically adjustable feed network 14. For example, the lengths of the branch feeders 112 and delay lines 123 included in the first electrically adjustable feed network 13 are different from the lengths of the branch feeders 112 and delay lines 123 included in the second electrically adjustable feed network 14.

[0142] In addition, in combination with the first electrically adjustable feed network 13 and the second electrically adjustable feed network 14 described above, it is also possible to control the first electrically adjustable feed network 13 or the second electrically adjustable feed network 14 to be in an operating state to achieve unilateral radiation of the antenna device 100 having the electrically adjustable network board 10, so as to facilitate adjustment of the beam width of the antenna device 100.

[0143] Furthermore, as shown in FIG18 , the electrically adjustable network board 10 includes a pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and a pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 distributed along the width direction of the dielectric substrate 2. In the length direction of the dielectric substrate 2, the variable delay modules 12 included in the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and the variable delay modules 12 included in the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 are staggered, and the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 are both used to output dual-polarized antenna signals.

[0144] In this way, by providing a pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and a pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14, a dual-side radiating and dual-polarized electrically adjustable network board 10 is realized. Furthermore, for the antenna device 100 having the electrically adjustable network board 10, dual-polarized radiation can be achieved while ensuring the symmetry and identity of the radiation beam weights, thereby further improving the radiation effect of the antenna device 100.

[0145] The distribution of the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 can refer to the distribution of the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 described above. For example, each first electrically adjustable feed network 13 and each second electrically adjustable feed network 14 includes two branch feeders 112, and only one branch feeder 112 is connected in series with a variable delay module 12. In this case, as shown in FIG18 , the variable delay modules 12 included in the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and the variable delay modules 12 included in the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 can be staggered along the length of the dielectric substrate 2. This ensures isolation between the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 while improving the compactness of the distribution of the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 along the width of the dielectric substrate 2.

[0146] It should be noted that, for the aforementioned case where both the first electrically adjustable feed network 13 and the second electrically adjustable feed network 14 are included along the length direction of the dielectric substrate 2, it is also possible, as shown in FIG19 , for the dielectric substrate 2 to include a first carrier plate 21 and a second carrier plate 22, the first carrier plate 21 and the second carrier plate 22 being spaced apart, the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 being located on the first carrier plate 21, and the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 being located on the second carrier plate 22. This reduces the material used in the dielectric substrate 2 and facilitates reducing the weight of the electrically adjustable network board 10.

[0147] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an antenna device 100 , which includes the electrically adjustable network board 10 described in the above embodiment.

[0148] When the antenna device 100 is in use, the main feeder line 111 is electrically connected to the main device and has received the energy signal sent by the main device.

[0149] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 , the antenna device 100 includes a reflector 20 , a power splitter 30 , an antenna unit 40 , an isolation strip 50 , and the electrically adjustable network board 10 described in the above embodiment.

[0150] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 22 , the antenna device 100 further includes a radome 60 , which is buckled onto the plurality of antenna units 40 included in the antenna device 100 .

[0151] As shown in Figures 20 and 23, the first side surface (i.e., the back side) of the reflector 20 has a plurality of electrically adjustable network boards 10 distributed along the width direction. As shown in Figures 20 and 24, the second side surface (front side) of the reflector 20 has isolation strips 50 located on both sides of each electrically adjustable network board 10 in the width direction, and an installation area corresponding to an electrically adjustable network board 10 is formed between two adjacent isolation strips 50; each installation area has a plurality of power splitting boards 30 and a plurality of groups of antenna units 40 corresponding to each other, the input end of a power splitting board 30 is electrically connected to a branch feeder 112, and the output end of a power splitting board 30 is electrically connected to a corresponding group of antenna units 40.

[0152] Among them, the width direction of the reflector 20 is the same as the width direction of the electrically adjustable network board 10; the multiple power splitter boards 30 correspond one-to-one to the branch feeders 112 included in the electrically adjustable feeding network 1 distributed along the length direction on the electrically adjustable network board 10, and the input end of each power splitter board 30 is electrically connected to the corresponding branch feeder 112 (the electrical connection can be achieved through metal vias on the reflector 20, etc.).

[0153] Among them, the number of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 included in each electrically adjustable network board 10 in the width direction can be one or a pair; and when the electrically adjustable network board 10 includes a pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 in the width direction, the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1 are electrically connected to the same power splitter board 30, thereby realizing dual-polarized radiation of a corresponding group of antenna units 40 through the pair of electrically adjustable feed networks 1.

[0154] The antenna units 40 within each installation area are grouped primarily according to the number of branch feeders 112 included in the electrically tilted feed network 1 distributed along the length of the electrically tilted network board 10. That is, multiple groups of antenna units 40 correspond one-to-one to the multiple branch feeders 112 included in the electrically tilted feed network 1 distributed along the length of the electrically tilted network board 10. Thus, each branch feeder 112 can be electrically connected to a corresponding group of antenna units 40 via the power splitter board 30 to control the group of antenna units 40 and simplify control of multiple groups of antenna units 40. For example, each group of antenna units 40 can have three, in which case each branch feeder 112 controls three antenna units 40. Alternatively, each group of antenna units 40 can have four, in which case each branch feeder 112 controls four antenna units 40. Alternatively, each group of antenna units 40 can have six, in which case each branch feeder 112 controls six antenna units 40.

[0155] For example, as shown in Figures 23 and 24, the antenna device 100 includes eight electrically adjustable network boards 10 located on the first side surface of the reflector 20, and antenna units 40 located on the second side surface of the reflector 20 and distributed in an 8×24 pattern. At this time, the isolation strip 50 on the second side of the reflector 20 divides the reflector 20 into eight installation areas, and each installation area has twenty-four antenna units 40.

[0156] When the electrically adjustable feeding network 1 distributed along the length direction of the dielectric substrate 2 on each electrically adjustable network board 10 includes a total of four branch feed lines 112, four power splitter boards 30 can be set in each installation area, and each power splitter board 30 is connected to six antenna units 40 to achieve one-to-six control of the antenna units 40. At this time, the antenna device 100 corresponds to 384 antennas; when the electrically adjustable feeding network 1 distributed along the length direction of the dielectric substrate 2 on each electrically adjustable network board 10 includes a total of six branch feed lines 112, six power splitter boards 30 can be set in each installation area. A power splitter board 30 is provided, and each power splitter board 30 is connected to four antenna units 40 to achieve one-to-four control of the antenna units 40. In this case, the antenna device 100 corresponds to 256 antennas. When the electrically tilted feed network 1 distributed along the length direction of the dielectric substrate 2 on each electrically tilted network board 10 has a total of eight branch feed lines 112, eight power splitter boards 30 can be provided in each installation area, and each power splitter board 30 is connected to three antenna units 40 to achieve one-to-three control of the antenna units 40. In this case, the antenna device 100 corresponds to 192 antennas.

[0157] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the downtilt adjustment of the scanning beam can be achieved by adjusting the phase of the energy signal input by the main feeder 111 on the antenna device 100, so as to effectively adjust the coverage range of the scanning beam and improve the scanning accuracy of the main lobe coverage area of ​​the beam.

[0158] Continuing with the above example, each electrically adjustable network board 10 includes a pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks 13 and a pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks 14 as described above. The first electrically adjustable feed network 13 and the second electrically adjustable feed network 14 each include two branch feed lines 112, and one of the two branch feed lines 112 is connected in series with a variable delay module 12.

[0159] When the variable delay module 12 includes two delay lines 123, the antenna device 100 can be used in two-sector, wide-angle scenarios. The two-sector, wide-angle antenna device 100 can achieve a 180-degree horizontal beam widening, thereby achieving the same three-sector coverage as a traditional antenna with only two sectors, helping to reduce the number of antenna devices 100. Furthermore, the wide-angle antenna device 100 can achieve a beam scanning angle of 3±4.5 degrees, meaning that the downtilt angle adjustment range of the scanning beam of the antenna device 100 is 3±4.5 degrees.

[0160] When the variable delay module 12 includes four delay lines 123, the downtilt angle of the scanning beam of the antenna device 100 can be adjusted within a range of 1 to 12 degrees, and the scanning error of the downtilt angle can be controlled within ±0.2 degrees, thereby improving the application scenarios of the antenna device 100. For example, Figures 25, 26, 27, and 28 respectively illustrate the scanning beam of the antenna device 100 when the scanning beam is downtilted by 1 degree, 4 degrees, 8 degrees, and 12 degrees.

[0161] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electrical feed network, characterized in that: include: A power splitting network, comprising a main feeder and a plurality of branch feeders electrically connected to each other, wherein the main feeder is used to input an energy signal, and the plurality of branch feeders are used to output antenna signals having different phases; a variable delay module, connected in series to one of the branch feeders, and comprising a first electrically adjustable switch, a second electrically adjustable switch and a plurality of delay lines; The first electrically adjustable switch and the second electrically adjustable switch each have a control end and a plurality of conduction ends. The control end of the first electrically adjustable switch and the control end of the second electrically adjustable switch are both electrically connected to corresponding branch feeders. The plurality of conduction ends correspond one-to-one to the plurality of delay lines. The plurality of delay lines have the same impedance and different lengths. The two ends of each delay line are respectively electrically connected to the corresponding conduction end on the first electrically adjustable switch and the corresponding conduction end on the second electrically adjustable switch.

2. The electrical feed network according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of delay lines include a first delay line, which includes a plurality of microstrip lines, and at least two of the microstrip lines have different widths.

3. The electrical feed network according to claim 2, wherein: The first delay line includes a first microstrip line, a second microstrip line and a third microstrip line; The first microstrip line and the second microstrip line are electrically connected to the corresponding conductive end of the first electrically adjustable switch and the corresponding conductive end of the second electrically adjustable switch, respectively. The third microstrip line is connected to the first microstrip line and the second microstrip line, respectively.

4. The electrical feed network according to claim 3, wherein: The first microstrip line and the second microstrip line have the same impedance, and the impedances of the first microstrip line and the third microstrip line satisfy Z1 2 =Z2×Z0, where Z0 refers to the preset impedance between the first electrically adjustable switch and the second electrically adjustable switch, Z1 refers to the impedance of the first microstrip line, and Z2 refers to the impedance of the third microstrip line.

5. The electrical feed network according to claim 4, wherein: The first microstrip line and the second microstrip line have the same width and a length of 0.25λ, where λ refers to the wavelength of an energy signal when it is transmitted along the electrically adjustable feed network. The width of the first microstrip line is greater than that of the third microstrip line.

6. The electrical feed network according to claim 2, wherein: The plurality of delay lines further includes a second delay line, the second delay line is a microstrip line of equal width, and the length of the second delay line is 0.5λ.

7. The electrical feed network according to claim 6, wherein: The plurality of delay lines further include a third delay line and a fourth delay line. The third delay line and the fourth delay line each include multiple sections of microstrip lines, and at least two sections of the microstrip lines have different widths.

8. The electrical feed network according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: At least some of the delay lines in the plurality of delay lines include a winding structure.

9. The electrical feed network according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: Each of the plurality of delay lines is symmetrically distributed along a center line of the first electrically adjustable switch and the second electrically adjustable switch.

10. The electrical feed network according to claim 1, wherein: The electrical adjustment feeding network includes a plurality of variable delay modules; The plurality of variable delay modules correspond one-to-one to the plurality of branch feeders, and each branch feeder is connected in series with a corresponding variable delay module.

11. The electrical feed network according to claim 10, wherein: The lengths of the delay lines included in the plurality of variable delay modules are different.

12. The electrical feed network according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of branch feeders include at least one first branch feeder and at least one second branch feeder, and the lengths of at least one of the first branch feeders are different; The electrically adjustable feeding network includes at least one variable delay module, and at least one variable delay module corresponds to at least one second branch feeder in a one-to-one manner, and each second branch feeder is connected in series with a corresponding variable delay module.

13. The electrical feed network according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The power division network further includes a fixed delay line, which is connected in series with at least one of the branch feed lines connected in series with the variable delay module.

14. The electrical feed network according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: At least one of the first electrically adjustable switch and the second electrically adjustable switch is a single-pole multi-throw radio frequency switch or a PIN switch.

15. The electrical feed network according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The power division network further includes a ring metal wire and a short-circuit metal sheet; The power division network includes two branch feeders, the main feeder and the branch feeder are respectively connected to different sides of the annular metal wire, the short-circuit metal sheet is located inside the annular metal wire, the short-circuit metal sheet is short-circuited with the annular metal wire, and is used for grounding.

16. An electrically adjustable network board, characterized in that: include: A dielectric substrate and an electrically adjustable feed network according to any one of claims 1 to 15; The dielectric substrate is in a strip-shaped structure and has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface has grounding metal, and the electrical adjustment feeding network is located on the second surface.

17. The electrically adjustable network board according to claim 16, wherein: The electrically adjustable network board includes a pair of electrically adjustable feeding networks distributed along the width direction of the dielectric substrate, and the pair of electrically adjustable feeding networks is used to output dual-polarized antenna signals.

18. The electrically adjustable network board according to claim 17, wherein: In the length direction of the dielectric substrate, the variable delay modules included in a pair of the electrically adjustable feeding networks are staggered.

19. The electrically adjustable network board according to claim 16, wherein: The electrical adjustment network board includes a first electrical adjustment feeding network and a second electrical adjustment feeding network symmetrically distributed along the length direction of the dielectric substrate; The length of the branch feeder and the length of the delay line included in the first electrically adjustable feed network are different from the length of the branch feeder and the length of the delay line included in the second electrically adjustable feed network, and the first electrically adjustable feed network and the second electrically adjustable feed network are used to output single-polarized antenna signals.

20. The electrically adjustable network board according to claim 19, wherein: The electrical adjustment network board includes a pair of the first electrical adjustment feeding networks and a pair of the second electrical adjustment feeding networks distributed along the width direction of the dielectric substrate; In the length direction of the dielectric substrate, the variable delay modules included in the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks and the variable delay modules included in the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks are staggered, and the pair of first electrically adjustable feed networks and the pair of second electrically adjustable feed networks are both used to output dual-polarized antenna signals.

21. An antenna device, characterized in that: Including the electrically adjustable network board described in any one of claims 16-20.

22. The antenna device according to claim 21, wherein The antenna device includes: a reflector, an isolation strip, a power splitter board and an antenna unit; The first side surface of the reflector has a plurality of electrically adjustable network boards distributed along the width direction, and the second side surface of the reflector has isolation strips located on both sides of each electrically adjustable network board in the width direction, and a mounting area corresponding to one electrically adjustable network board is formed between two adjacent isolation strips; Each of the installation areas has a plurality of power splitter boards and a plurality of antenna units corresponding to each other. The input end of one of the power splitter boards is electrically connected to one of the branch feeders, and the output end of one of the power splitter boards is electrically connected to a corresponding group of antenna units.

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